Constitution Quiz (Original)

Which of the following was a characteristic of the federal government under the Articles of Confederation?

• Congress was a two-chambered body, with a House of Delegates and a Council.

• Congress could not levy taxes or regulate commerce.

• Congress could amend the Articles by a two-thirds vote.

• There were two branches of government—judicial and legislative—but no executive.

Which of the following does NOT describe those who attended the Constitutional Convention?

• Most were better educated than the average American of the time.

• Most were prosperous by the standards of the day.

• A significant percentage had served in the army during the Revolutionary War.

• Most had earned their wealth after rising from humble origins.

Which of the following is true of the Virginia Plan?

• James Madison opposed it, but the other delegates from Virginia supported it.
• It proposed a one-house legislature, with population determining representation.
• It proposed a two-house legislature, with population determining representation in each house.
• It called for each state to have one vote in Congress.

The New Jersey Plan:

• was mainly supported by the smaller, less populated states.
• contained a gradual emancipation requirement that proved quite controversial.
• found its greatest support from the Pennsylvania and Massachusetts delegations.
• called for a radical departure from the Articles of Confederation in every way.

Why did the founding fathers create the electoral college?

• Small states insisted that they have a chance to play a role in choosing the president, and that wouldn’t have been possible with direct elections.
• Alexander Hamilton wanted a king, James Madison wanted no president, and the result was this compromise so that there could be a president.
• They did not trust ordinary voters to choose the president and vice president directly.
• They knew the Constitution would make them unpopular, so they wanted to create a way to avoid letting voters choose the president, thereby giving themselves a chance to be elected.

The relationship between the national government and the states is called:

• the separation of powers
• checks and balances
• The Constitution
• Federalism

Which of the following is true regarding Congress and the African slave trade in the United States under the Constitution?

• Congress never prohibited this slave trade.
• The First Congress under the Constitution prohibited the importation of slaves into the United States.
• Congress always let individual states make their own decisions with regard to importing slaves.
• Congress prohibited the African slave trade twenty years after ratification of the Constitution.

Who wrote the majority of the eighty-five essays in The Federalist?

• Alexander Hamilton
• James Madison
• John Jay
• John Adams

Which of the following was a weakness of the Articles of Confederation?

• Only Congress had the power to tax.
• There was no legislative branch of government.
• State governments had no authority.
• There was no national court system.

What issue did the Great Compromise resolve?

• representation in the legislature
• abolition of slavery
• the veto power of the executive
• whether taxes were to be paid in specie or paper money